"I don't think Iker will win the Ballon d'Or"

On the day of his 86th birthday, Alfredo Di Stéfano took to the airwaves of Radio MARCA to talk about the goalkeeper and captain of the Spanish national team: "We should pay tribute to Iker Casillas for being a great goalkeeper, but these days, outfield players matter more and I don’t think they’ll give him the Ballon d'Or".

Di Stéfano thinks that acknowledging Casillas as the best keeper at Euro 2012 is "a good prize". However, everything points to the award being “a matter of journalists’ votes".

"Winning the award is out of your hands. The Ballon d'Or has to be given to the best player, that’s the gospel truth", said Di Stéfano referring to the 2012 Ballon d’Or being given to Lionel Messi over Xavi or Iniesta.

In his interview to Radio MARCA, Di Stéfano pointed out that "in football, the word play is very important and that’s what Spain does, play football. The best thing about 'La Roja' is that they played well, were well-balanced and they won playing well".

"The ingredients are all there for the national team to carry on as successfully as they do now: the players, the talent, the team spirit", remarked Di Stéfano: "Football boils down to your philosophy and you play it how you feel it. Spain plays like a team, with a passing game that helps define it".